By Lieran Docherty

In November 2017, the Canadian government launched the first ever National Housing Strategy in Canada. As a part of this strategy, the federal government made a commitment to working towards a human rights-based approach to housing. The government held a public consultation with communities across Canada on the proposed approach.

In preparation for this submission, WomanACT coordinated a consultation process with stakeholders providing Violence Against Women services in the city of Toronto. WomanACT’s submission stresses the importance of recognizing the intersections between housing, homelessness and violence against women and the many barriers that women face when trying to seek safety. WomanACT recommends that a rights-based approach to housing must recognize the critical importance of safety in achieving adequate housing and the right for women to remain in their own homes. WomanACT’s submission also recommends that the principles in the National Housing Strategy can be further strengthened through a robust intersectional Gender-Based Analysis, meaningful engagement with Women with Lived Experience and a commitment to addressing systemic inequality and discrimination.

Read the full submission here.

By Lieran Docherty, Program Manager ​

Toronto Police Service has launched a new and interactive website for sexual assault survivors called Project Guide. The website is an online resource designed to provide an array of information to survivors including information on community support available and how to report incidents to the police. The new website also aims to help survivors understand what they can expect from various processes including step by step information on reporting sexual assault to the police, the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit and the court process.

The website features an interactive map with resources available across the city and an information guide with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. The information guide is available in 12 languages. ​

Click here to visit the website.

The report released by Statistics Canada on March 15th shows that women with disabilities experience higher rates of violence and victimization across Canada. Using data from the 2014 General Social Survey, the report presents an overview of the experiences of victimization of Canadian women and men with disabilities. It is important to note that the General Social Survey does not include residents of institutions – such as prisons, shelters – in its sample.

The report found that among Canadians with a disability, the rate of violent victimization was about twice as high when compared to those who did not report a disability. In addition, the report found that women with disabilities are over-represented as victims in self-reported violent crime. In 45% of all incidents involving a female victim, including sexual assault, robbery and physical assault, the female victim had a disability.

Other findings in the report include:

• Women with disabilities are more likely to experience childhood sexual abuse. “12% of women with a disability reported being forced into unwanted sexual activity by an adult before the age of 15, compared with 5% of women without a disability.”
• Approximately 1 in 4 women with a cognitive disability or a mental health-related disability were sexually abused by an adult before they were 15 years of age.
• Canadians with a disability are more likely to experience homelessness than Canadians without a disability. “More than one in five Canadians with a mental health-related disability or a cognitive disability indicated that they had experienced homelessness at some point in their life.”
• Victims of violent crime with a disability were more likely to access victim services. Furthermore, women with a disability were more likely to access services compared to men with a disability.
• Of those victims of spousal violence with a disability, women were more likely than men to have experienced the most serious forms of spousal violence, to be physically injured due to the violence and to fear for their life.

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Take a look at the full report here for more information. 

By Lieran Docherty, Program Manager ​

Women’s Shelters Canada is hosting its first National Conference in June 2018. The conference is taking place in Ottawa from June 13th to 15th, 2018. The conference is bringing together shelter and transition workers along with researchers, advocates, policy makers and others to engage in critical conversations through panels, forums and workshops. Over 50 concurrent sessions have been planned on various themes including VAW and Housing, Accessibility and Inclusion, Pets in Shelters, Issues Affecting Immigrant Women and Indigenous Women’s Healing.

There is a Solidarity Fund available to support the participation of individuals from four key groups: representatives from rural and remote shelters, women with lived experience, women living with a disability and representatives from Indigenous women’s shelters. Women Shelter’s Canada will be offering partial or full conference scholarships to selected candidates.

Early bird prices are available and expire on April 15th 2018.
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For more information or to register for the event, please visit their page here. 

On March 1st, 2018, the Ontario government launched Its Never Okay: Ontario’s Gender-based Violence Strategy. The strategy is aimed at addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and providing survivors with greater support. The strategy, a $242 million framework, is building on some of Ontario’s other key action plans: It's Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment, Ontario's Strategy to End Human Trafficking and Walking Together: Ontario’s Long-Term Strategy to End Violence Against Indigenous Women.

The strategy includes a number of investments targeting diverse populations in Ontario including rural and remote communities, newcomers, Indigenous women and children and LGBTQI2S communities.

Some highlights from the strategy include:

• Increased investment to serve people through direct services including counselling, crisis lines, emergency shelters and legal supports.
• Development of Canada's first dedicated LGBTQ+ Community Legal Clinic
• New bystander and community training to address violence in the workplace and to tackle the underlying attitudes and norms that often lead to violence.
• New policing standards on sexual assault and domestic violence investigations.
• Greater support for families and children including expansion of the Child Witness Program and Family Court Support Worker Program.

The announcement was made by Minister of the Status of Women Harinder Malhi, Minister of Community and Social Services Michael Coteau, and Attorney General Yasir Naqvi in Toronto on March 1st.

For more information on the new strategy, please visit It's Never Okay: Ontario's Gender-based Violence Strategy. 

Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director of WomanACT, is showing her support for Bill 157 (amendments to Bill 148) at a press conference on Thursday, September 28th at Queen’s Park.

A year ago, Bill 26 was brought forth by Peggy Sattler, Ontario NDP critic for Women’s Issues, Education, and Skills Development. This bill pushed for:

• Ten days of paid leave;
• Workplace accommodations; and
• Mandatory workplace training on domestic and sexual violence.

Bill 26 was supported and passed unanimously by the three parties, yet referred to Committee, where it has remained with no further action.

Building on Bill 26, amendments to Bill 148, currently introduced in Bill 157 are specifically addressing the following:

1. Amending the Employment Standards Act (ESA) by requiring employers to provide leave to employees who have experienced DV or SV, or whose children have experienced DV or SV; This leave includes up to ten (10) days of paid leave, as well as 15 weeks of unpaid leave per calendar year.
   
   
2. Including a provision that requires the paid portion of this leave to be covered by the Ontario government.
   
   
3. Amending the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to require that employers provide mandatory training on DV and SV to all managers, supervisors and workers.
   
   

Harmy Mendoza believes, “…the amendments suggested for Bill 148 are critical in addressing domestic and sexual violence. I would like to particularly applaud the provision requiring the paid portion of this leave to be covered by the Ontario government. This provision will likely increase the possibility of ensuring a supportive workplace and/or employer, given that providing a leave under this bill would not impact workplaces financially.”

Theresa Vince, Lori Dupont, Ravinder Kaur Bhangu, Camille Runke: all murdered at their workplaces by their partners… the list goes on. Domestic homicides or murder by an intimate partner represents 17% of all solved homicides in Canada and 47% of all family homicides.

“How many more victims will be added to the list? What do we need to do to ensure we, as a society, are able to protect those who need it the most? What do we need to do to be considered a priority?”

Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director of WomanACT, fully support amendments proposed to Bill 148 and hope these amendments can eventually become law.
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Click here to read Bill 148.

In October 2016, Status of Women Canada invited organizations to propose projects that advance gender equity across Canada. Through this call for proposals, the aim was to identify a total of 150 women leaders in various sectors, organizations, and communities across the country to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

Overall, as of June 2017, about 50 projects were approved for funding with over $18 million in Funding to Advance Gender Equality.

On August 16, 2017, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Status of Women Canada, announced funding to nine organizations across the Toronto region, including WomanACT, as part of this call for proposals. All projects will address systemic barriers over a 36-month period through three components: (1) increasing women’s economic security and propserity; (2) encouraging women and girls to be better represented in leadership and decision-making roles; and (3) ending violence against women and girls.

The nine organizations from the Toronto region that received over $3.2 million in funding include:

• Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services - $375,855
• Barbra Schlifer Clinic - $365,789
• Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) - $398,470
• COSTI Immigrant Services - $248,487
• Ontario Non-Profit Network - $360,000
• Ontario Society of Professional Engineers - $385,000
• Scarborough Women’s Centre - $360,000
• Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) - $363,149
• YWCA Hamilton - $362,780

WomanACT’s 36-month project will prevent recurring violence against women by focusing on  barriers that prevent women from accessing services, social benefits and safety measures when exiting emergency shelters. A gender analysis of the impact of policies related to social security, landed immigration status, child custody, affordable housing, and post-secondary education grants will be completed by working with stakeholders from community networks. This analysis will inform the development of an action plan to advance solutions to maximize safety and opportunities for women rebuilding violence free lives. The organization will host policy dialogues with municipal, provincial, and federal subject matter experts, strengthening longer term partnerships for systemic change. Recommendations and final project outcomes will be shared widely with partners, stakeholders and elected officials through ongoing dialogue.

Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director of WomanACT, expresses that, “Leaving an abusive relationship can be a difficult and dangerous transition. This project will analyze the impact of policies in place to assist survivors of violence in rebuilding their lives. By working with our partners in the community and supporting policy dialogues, the project will strengthen longer term partnerships for systemic change. We will broadly share our knowledge and support the implementation of suggested recommendations.”

​All organizations that were granted funding to advance gender equality will aid in developing a stronger, more effective, and united women’s movement in Canada. WomanACT is extremely excited to begin its 3 year project in September and take action in implementing support in gender equality across Canada.

For more details regarding the funding for all nine Toronto organizations, see the Status of Women Canada news release. Also, if you’re interested in viewing the details of the original call for funding to advance gender equality in Canada, click here.

See Status of Women Canada for additional funded projects across the country! 

For more information about this project please contact our Project Manager, Lieran Docherty 


“Everyone, including boys and men, must be part of the solution to end gender-based violence. All people living in Canada deserve the same opportunity to thrive and succeed, no matter their sex, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic background.”

                                                          - The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women 

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1. Status of Women Canada. (2016, December). Funding to advance gender equality in Canada - Call for proposals - Status of Women Canada. Retrieved from http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/fun-fin/cfp-adp/2016-2/theme-en.html
2. Government of Canada, & Status of Women Canada. (2017, August 16). Backgrounder: Toronto - New funding will help support a vibrant gender equality movement across Canada. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/status-women/news/2017/08/backgrounder_toronto-newfundingwillhelpsupportavibrantgenderequa.html

WomanACT, as a member of the Building a Bigger Wave Ontario Network, is proud to support and participate in the research project: “The Future of Mandatory Charging for Intimate Partner Violence: Status quo or alternative direction?”
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Building a Bigger Wave Ontario Network (BBWON) has undertaken a research project exploring the impacts of mandatory charging policies on women who experience abuse and their families. The project is being funded jointly by VAW Coordinating Committees (VAWCCs) and Mitacs, a research foundation that supports connections between universities and communities. Building a Bigger Wave provides the coordination for VAWCC committees.

This four-month project will create an Ontario-specific research instrument to survey victim/survivors, service providers (e.g. shelters) and police. The surveys have been designed to investigate the impact of mandatory charging on victim/survivors.
This project is the first step for criminal justice system institutions (e.g. police, Crown Attorneys) and community-based organizations in developing more effective responses to domestic violence and reducing associated costs.

A virtual presentation of the project’s  initial findings will be facilitated by Deborah E. Conners, Ph.D., University of Ottawa, during the upcoming WomanACT General Members Meeting scheduled to take place on June 29th,2017.
 
WomanACT is a proud member of the BBWON

The Building a Bigger Wave Ontario Network (BBWON) is a feminist-based, volunteer network of passionate professionals and advocates who believe it is vital to strengthen existing multi-sector tables known as Violence Against Women Coordinating Committees (VAWCCs). VAWCCS are existing infrastructure with experience and expertise that can propel social innovation and change. In Ontario, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) funds 48 local committees across the province. As such, VAWCCs can be critical elements of a larger strategy to engage everyone in the province of Ontario to end violence against women and children. The BBWON leadership believes that ending sexual and domestic violence in all its forms is a shared responsibility.

VAWCCs are comprised of committed professionals and advocates who meet regularly to do the heavy lifting on figuring out how to work together more effectively in local communities on domestic and sexual violence cases and related issues. The BBWON is a virtual place for communication and connection for individuals, VAWCCs, and other allies. We are committed to ongoing learning and shared leadership to achieve collective impact on this most complex and destructive global epidemic. BBWON is only one piece of a much larger picture of people working together to create a peaceful and just world.

BBWON is an emergent and evolving network.
 
BBWON currently has three coordinators who manage overall network activities and projects. Project funding supports their involvement, but most of the work is done on a volunteer basis. This allows BBWON to function according to the priorities identified by the network.

For more information about the work of the BBWON, please visit their web page:
http://www.buildingabiggerwave.org